Vegas Winter Food and Wine Festival

You should be planning ahead…marking time off and reserving your room for a 4-day Vegas getaway December 5-8, preferably at the Venetian-Palazzo because this is where indulgence lives. Here fabulous can’t-miss culinary events await that will make returning to the “real world” extremely difficult. Consider this your road map:

Day 1 – Thurs. Dec. 5th – Be sure to arrive in Vegas with plenty of time to make La Cucina ItalianaFood & Wine Festival’skick off event, Dinner with Wolfgang at the Palazzo’s CUT. Wolfgang Puck and Dario Cecchini, the famed singing butcher of Panzano, aim to up the “steaks” at this intimate dinner delighting you with lively stories and a carnivore’s dream spread featuring Cecchini’s traditional Tuscan-style dishes. Then go straight to bed…don’t get drawn into poker rounds just yet.

Day 2 – Fri. Dec. 6th – Hit the tables, slots, pool deck, climb the Palazzo’s indoor rock wall, walk the strip…whatever it takes to work up an appetite for that crowning hour of 7 p.m. when the Venetian’s Grand Colonade is transformed into a Grand Banquet reminiscent of King Arthur’s Court. Grab a seat for the ultimate Tuscan-style feast prepared by Mario Batali & Dario Cecchini featuring veal Carpaccio, 24-month Galardi prosciutto, risotto with white truffle, and in Batali’s own words “porchetta to end all porchettas.” His enthusiam heightens, “This will conjure meals eaten in Italy, where banquets are spread out quite literally in the middle of a street…common in a Tuscan or Umbrian village…not so much in the heart of the Vegas Strip.”

Day 3 – Sat. Dec. 7th – Today is your hands-on coming to grips with creating some classic Italian dishes for yourself. Meet at the Palazzo Waterfall Atrium at 11:00 a.m. for “How to Italian” experiences throughout the day: